Staying in Control
It’s a new month, and that means we’re on to a new theme – mindfulness – being connected to the present moment and facing this moment only, without worrying about the future or being consumed by strong feelings about the past. By being fully present and not being overwhelmed by the world around us, we become better able to control our emotions.
Staying mindful can help us reduce stress, improve skills at work and home, gain insight into our own needs, and become more aware of the well-being of others. Here are some ways you can bring more mindfulness into your life:
Establish a breathing and meditation practice.
Allow yourself time to rest.
Be fully present - do more noticing.
Get outside in nature.
Focus on only one thing at a time.
Mindfulness exercises can include grounding, breathing, distractions, or focusing on something specific. Being mindful can give you the time to connect with what you feel, why you feel it, and what you want to do with that feeling. As this article states, you control your own feelings, they don’t control you, and that brings us to the topic of self-regulation.
When the world around us appears to be overwhelming, we may feel our emotions are out of control as we try to respond. By working to be mindful and connected to the present moment, we regain the ability to regulate our emotions.
One way to self-regulate is to remember our strengths, which we identified as part of last month’s self-discovery theme. We can use those strengths to maintain our composure in emotional situations.
In addition to recognizing our strengths, we also need to recognize triggers – those events and thoughts that can cause us to lose control of our emotions. This can be hard to think about, but it’s worth the effort, like everything else associated with self-care. What triggers you to feel angry, sad, or frustrated?
Triggers may threaten to derail our emotional stability, but if we remind ourselves of the strengths of our character, we can move back to our emotional center. When something or someone triggers an emotional response from you, start by noticing that response and being mindful of how you’re feeling at the time. Understand that when we react in the moment, we often react with an emotional response that isn't healthy.
Motivation also helps us self-regulate, enabling us to continue to make progress and achieve our goals. For me, that motivation is YOU – you’re a huge part of my “why” … my reason to get up and get moving with my day … to be here and fully present for caregivers looking for support.
What’s your “why”? Whatever it is, you can use that motivation in combination with your strengths to self-regulate and gain greater control, for a more mindful and healthier you.